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Start the year with Tribes TLC – 3-5

Review/teach the agreements as you introduce directions, class procedures, and reflections on the behavior at recess.  Strong attention to the relationship between recess behavior and agreements during the first two weeks of school will help with consistency and the inevitable conflict management throughout the year.

Strategies from Reaching All by Creating Tribes Learning Communities to use and/or adapt for building Inclusion and learning names:

·      Appreciating Others (p.213):  Writing complete sentences, even a “homework assignment!

·      All in the Family (p. 209):  Great for inclusion and great for some teacher insight on personalities.

·      Community Circle Metaphor (p. 228)

·      Funeral for Put-Downs (p. 250):  Use a shredder or bury near the playground for additional effect.

·      I Sit in a Chair with My Friend (p. 262):  Good for following directions, sequencing, and learning names.  Team up with a k -1 – 2 class to model how it is done and help them learn names.

·      Finding All We Have in Common (p. 243):  It may be helpful to brainstorm good questions before starting.  Make sure YOU (teacher) chooses the pairs/groups so no one is left out!

·      I’m Proud Appreciation Circle (p. 264):  At the beginning of the year, you can extend this to setting a goal for the school year…”I hope to learn / change / etc….”

·      Name Wave (p. 388):  good for learning names – keep the focus by “waving” only two or three names a day

·      One Minute History (p. 294):  Give some time to prepare, incorporate curriculum (use adjectives, write compound sentences, etc.).  Use media to create a back-to-school presentation.

·      Slip Game (p. 334): prepare your own age-appropriate questions and/or questions that will include all your students, based on your own information.

·      I-Messages (p. 87, 11, 113, 336) and Paraphrase Passport (p. 302) will also do a lot to prevent and/or manage conflict

Energizers (from the Energizer Box):

#12 – Car and Driver             #18 – Creating Groups                  #24 – Eighty-Five

#32 – Fruit Salad                  #38 – Ha, ha, ha                            #51- Lean-two         

#73 – Roving Reporters       #86 – Tactile Copier                        #100 – Wink